Struggling with :- 4 down - Veteran car down under not starting (5) O?D?N Assume this is 'olden' but don't get the car reference. 9 down - Blackens (6) ?R?M?S Can only think of 'grimes', but don't like it much. Haven't the faintest idea what the "Theme-word" is - the paired "Variation-words" seem to be grimes/simple, preset/Streep and safe/cell. I'm just not at the races on this one ....
Thanks, pj and Phil. I think you've cracked it with 'peter', Phil. There's a Peter Simple, too, isn't there? And a 'peter' can be a prison cell. The theme-word has "six letters, plural of a five-letter word, so I guess it's 'peters'. Thanks very much for all the help, folks. If I win the radio, you can have a listen!